Page 27 - Implementation of the ITU-T International Standards for the Sustainable Management of Electrical and Electronic Equipment: On the road to a circular economy in Argentina

Implementation of the ITU-T International Standards for the Sustainable Management of
Electrical and Electronic Equipment: On the road to a circular economy in Argentina

show that 88 out of every 100 people in Argentina use a cell phone, and 85 out of every 100
use the Internet.

As mentioned above, the steady technological changes result in a quick increase of total WEEE
in terms of volume and complexity.

2.2 Regulatory framework for WEEE in Argentina and current situation
regarding sustainable WEEE management

The Argentine Republic has national, provincial, and municipal regulations, and has ratified the
main international environmental agreements. It should be noted that the Republic of Argentina
has been developing a public policy aimed at promoting the circularity and environmentally
sustainable management of WEEE, its recovery, and the formalization of the sector. Detailed
information on the regulatory framework of WEEE is included in Annex 1.

Although the country does not have a national law on WEEE management, there are different
rules that regulate aspects related to WEEE directly and indirectly.

The main regulations include Article 41 of the National Constitution, which establishes the right
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to enjoy a healthy environment and defines the national environmental legal system, regulated
by the General Environmental Act 25.675; the regulations related to waste management, Act
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25.916 on minimum requirements for the integral management of waste and its Regulatory
Decree 779/2022, Act 24.051 on hazardous waste; and Act 25.612 on minimum requirements
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for industrial waste and service activities (regulations in force but not operational).

There are also regional regulations in the framework of MERCOSUR, to which Argentina is
a party, and Argentina has also ratified the Regional Agreement on Access to Information,
Public Participation and Access to Justice on Environmental Matters in Latin America and the
Caribbean (Escazú Agreement).

National regulations

Article 41 of the National Constitution states the right to enjoy a healthy environment and grants
to the National the power to rule on minimum requirements for environmental protection
without altering local jurisdictions.

To define the legal framework, the General Environmental Act (Act 25.675) must be pointed
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out; this regulates the national environmental policy, defines environmental damage and its
legal consequences, and establishes the principles and instruments governing the policy for
its interpretation and effective enforcement.

7 Available at: https:// www .enre .gov .ar/ web/ bibliotd .nsf/ 58d 19f48e1cde bd50325675 9004e862f/ 3e
09d3dd4e79 a9c303256b 1700604cc3 ?OpenDocument #: ~: text = %2D %20Todos %20los %20habitantes
%20gozan %20del ,tienen %20el %20deber %20de %20preservarlo.
8 Available at: http:// servicios .infoleg .gob .ar/ infolegInternet/ anexos/ 75000 -79999/ 79980/ norma .htm.
9 Available at: http:// servicios .infoleg .gob .ar/ infolegInternet/ verNorma .do ?id = 450.
10 Link to 25.675 Act http:// servicios .infoleg .gob .ar/ infolegInternet/ verNorma .do ?id = 79980.

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